RWBY: Spirit of the Martyr
by Varmun
Summary: Taking place shortly after the end of Season 3, Spirit of the Martyr follows Jaune, Ruby, Nora, and Ren on their journey to Haven. The loss of Pyrrha has left deep scars in Jaune's heart. The death he was powerless to stop, to even witness or share, haunt


The crash of steel and the crack of stone sent tremors through his body. The rooftop shook, yet his feet remained cemented, his legs trembling in the icy wind. Shards of glass flew at his head, slicing his cheek, brow, and lip, yet he did not heal, he did not dodge. It felt as if a fist was lodged in his throat. Every effort to scream was met with a blistering pain that he could not feel, yet he knew it was there, and it made his stomach churn.

Gears the size of cars flew through the air, shattering the concrete roof, swinging round in circles with the grace of snowflakes and the power of meteors. His own sword and shield joined in the metal tempest, wielded by the skilled hand of a true warrior, bent to her will. Yet as he watched her, as he witnessed the barrage that would surely have slaughtered the strongest of Grimm, he fought desperately to scream.

Waves of fire melted the maelstrom of steel, molten sludge pooling up around his feet and rolling towards her. She stared in awe and terror, her arms hanging by her sides, shoulders slumped as she panted. Her eyes then darted around for a new weapon, hands shrouded in a dark haze that reached out in vain, grasping nothing but the air. All she caught was an arrow through her palm. She reeled back and screamed in pain, her cry piercing his ears and chilling his heart, rolling and echoing as if ripped from a hundred voices. A second arrow skewered her ankle, and she fell to the ground.

All fell silent in an instant. The rippling fire, the bubbling steel, the howling wind, and her fevered gasps all hushed. All that he could hear now was the clacking of heels. Pillars of fire spewed from each footstep of the raven-haired witch that strutted across the battlefield. Shards of glass orbited her hip, and embers flickered along the backs of her arms. A smug smile crossed her lips, one that grew wider with each step, until it formed a wicked grin. She stopped in front of her wounded prey, and she turned her palm to the sky. The glass shards fluttered to her hand, swiftly piecing themselves together to form a long, black, crooked sword that gleamed in the light of the bloody moon. And it was only when she raised her sword that he could finally speak, that he could utter his vain, worthless cry.

"Pyrrha-a!" Jaune's voice cracked as he screamed, and his fists bled as he banged against the walls that wrapped around him. The rooftop pulled away, drawing back into the distance, yet he could still see it all as he soared through the sky, sailing back into a dark void.

As the walls crushed his body, he saw it end as it always ended, with her golden dust flickering into the wind… to fade away.

Jaune sat on a cliff's edge, his leg hiked up, his head to his knee, arms hiding his face. His head ached, and his hair stood on end. His eyes were heavy and damp, but the last thing he wanted was sleep. No matter what he did, it never got easier. He pinched his leg a few times to convince himself that this was real, but what good did that do? Reality was no safer than his nightmares, no less heartbreaking.

A wave of red cloth drifted into the side of his view. Jaune didn't even need to look and see who sat down beside him.

"Again?" asked Ruby, her voice glum and quiet.

Jaune nodded faintly and sighed. "Yeah. Again."

"Do you want to talk about it? Maybe there's something we can do." He gave her no reply, only tucked his head into his chest, scraping his forehead along his jeans. "Jaune, you haven't slept well in weeks. This can't keep happening."

"I know," he said, finally looking to Ruby. "I know." With a deep breath, he tried to calm his quivering heart, and he recounted his latest nightmare. The details fell from his tongue, becoming more horrid and twisted as he became lost in grief. "Every time is different. Sometimes she puts up a fight. Other times it's a slaughter. But every single time I just stand there. I stand there and let it happen."

Ruby frowned and hugged her legs, but she never took her eyes off Jaune. "There was nothing you could have done. Even Ozpin couldn't stand up to Cinder. Don't blame yourself for what happened to Pyrrha."

"Why not?" he asked, sounding defeated. "Yeah, there was nothing I could do, but is that an excuse? I. Did. Nothing. Sure, I tried to fight back, and I tried to get Pyrrha and me out of there, but I _did_ nothing. I _couldn't_ do anything. Anyone else could have done more."

For a moment, Ruby remained silent. Jaune clenched his fist and looked up at the sky, trying to imagine Weiss, Neptune, Nora, even Cardin of all people putting up some kind of fight against Cinder, or at least having the strength to blow open a damned locker door. Any time he tried to replace them with himself, his imagination went right back to his nightmares, to reality.

"I've got it," said Ruby, a bit of hope in her voice as she rose to her feet.

"Huh?" Jaune looked up at her, a bit disoriented as Ruby snapped him from his thoughts.

"I've got an idea on how to cheer you up. What you need is a workout."

"Uh-h… what? Ruby, I practice every day. You know that. A workout's not going to—"

"Shush." Little by little, Ruby's usual pep and confidence broke through the glum. She put on a strong face for Jaune as she declared, "This isn't just practice. This is special. If you're going to beat yourself up and compare yourself to the rest of us, then there's only one thing to do: Tomorrow, we're unlocking your Semblance."

Jaune's mouth hung open, his eyes wide with shock, and his whole body sunk as he muttered, "… Oh god, no."

The white, crystalline trees refracted the light of the morning sun, every color of the rainbow twinkling across the virgin snow. Ruby's boots crunched the snow as she led Jaune, Nora, and Ren to a clearing just east of their campsite. Amidst the shimmering trees, there was a flawless circle that was big enough to practice in, but hidden enough to allow for privacy. And if the Grimm, the White Fang, or some wandering bandit tried to get the jump on them, the snow would call them out loud and clear.

Jaune trudged behind everyone, his shoulders slumped, his sword thumping against his leg, a look of anguish and dread on his face.

Nora looked back and snorted when she saw him. She snapped to his side, throwing an arm around him and asking loudly, "What's the matter, Jaune? Rela-ax! You look like you're headed for your funeral."

Nervously, though not entirely without humor, Jaune muttered, "You might be surprised how many people die of disappointment each year. It's a serious killer."

"Oh come on, it's just training. And hey, it's Semblance training—my favorite." Nora's grin grew wide and her energy spiked as she spoke a mile a minute. "It's like opening a birthday present from the rich uncle you never see, but you just know he has all the coolest stuff. Your Semblance could be anything. It could be some sort of super strength, or control over gravity, or—heck—you've got so much Aura you could make _Aura explosions_." She then punched the air, making explosion sounds as she lost herself to her imagination.

Ren's voice just barely reached over the sounds of Nora's play, as he said, "Nora, a person's Semblance usually relates to their personality. I'm not sure Jaune is the explosion type."

"Oh! Oh! But he's a good leader. Maybe his Semblance will let him grow a second head. Double the tactics."

"That's… not even possible."

The two hung back, with Nora spewing out more ideas in rapid succession and Ren doing his best to listen and temper Nora's expectations. Ruby, meanwhile, led Jaune to the center of the clearing, where she turned to face him, having to crane her head to look him in the eye.

"Can't promise what you're going to get when we're done, but I swear we're going to unlock your Semblance today." She smiled, her arms crossed.

All of this confidence and positivity—while appreciated and certainly a good change—wasn't rubbing off on Jaune. He tried. At the very least, he tried, but in the end he could only slouch and say, "Ruby, I appreciate the offer, but Pyrrha and I already tried. We used to practice, and it just never worked."

"How did you practice?"

"Well, uh… Sh-she grabbed my hands, we stood there together, and she had me use my Aura. I think? I'm not entirely sure what we did, really."

"No, that's about right. A Semblance is the manifestation of a person's Aura. Using your Aura can unlock it, but there's more than one way to do that. Everyone unlocks their Semblance differently."

"Really?" he asked, curious. "Pyrrha never mentioned that. How did you do it?"

Ruby tapped her chin, though it didn't look like she was recalling a memory, more like she was piecing together her story, figuring out where to begin. After a time, she started gesturing with her arms dramatically as she said, "It was a dark and stormy night. I had just started my first year at Signal, and I was out for a stroll in the woods. It was a beautiful night, the moon full and bright—"

"Wait, I thought you said it was stormy."

"… It can be both. Anyway, I was wandering through the brush, when all of a sudden, I heard two people cry out! Snarls followed, and I saw through the trees an old man and woman hobbling away from a pack of Beowolves. So, I drew Crescent Rose, and we cut down the Grimm one by one. But there were so many—too many—coming out from the woods, down from the trees, even up from the ground."

Jaune started to question the story at this point, but he said nothing until he heard the sound of ruffling to his right. He glanced over to find Nora beside him, hanging on Ruby's every word, her hand diving into a bag of popcorn that made Jaune double-take. "Wh-where did you—?" Ren stood beside Nora, plucking at the popcorn as Ruby's story went on.

"But while I was dealing with the horde of Grimm, the old people were still being chased by one last wolf. The Beowolf was right behind them, and I raced off to try and catch it, but it was so far away. I heard the couple scream, the Grimm snarl, and then… darkness."

Jaune waited, expecting more. But when Ruby said nothing else, he asked, "Wait, that's it? What happened to the Grimm? What about your Semblance?"

"Uh-h…" Ruby rubbed the back of her head, a tinge of blush on her cheeks. "So I'm pretty sure what happened was I unlocked my Semblance, and I dashed for the Grimm, but I hit my head on a tree and blacked out. I mean, when I woke up the old people were still alive, so I must have cut the Grimm down along the way."

Despite the anticlimax of Ruby's story, when it was all said and done, Jaune was left impressed. "Wow. Yeah, that's actually… pretty cool." It reminded him of classic hero stories, the ones he grew up with and idolized. His heart fluttered as he thought about unlocking his own Semblance through an act of heroism. He then looked to Nora and Ren. "So how did you guys unlock yours?"

Ren opened his mouth first, but Nora cut him off excitedly. "I got struck by lightning!"

"You wha'?" Jaune stared wide-eyed. "H-how? Why?"

"Oh please. You've known me for how long and you're gonna question _that?_ "

"It really is best not to ask," said Ren with a wave of his hand.

"Anyway," said Ruby, trying to refocus, "if meditating and focusing on your Aura didn't work, then we need to try something else. So for now, we'll try my idea: Sparring."

Jaune once again dipped into depression. "I'm starting to think you guys enjoy watching me suffer."

Jaune and Ruby stood opposite each other in the clearing, their weapons drawn, knees bent as they stared each other down. A gentle breeze rolled by, whipping up a light dusting of powder. Nora stood on the sidelines, fists on her hips as she waited for the fight to begin. Ren was off in the woods, patrolling and keeping an eye out for Grimm or any other threats.

"Don't hold back, Jaune," said Ruby with a smile. "Give me everything you've got."

"Yeah," he said. "Maybe give me…" He trailed off, his eyes rolling down to his sword, which hung down by his leg as his stance slackened. For a moment, his mind wandered, recalling his dreams. Was he seriously about to ask Ruby to take it easy on him? Who in this world would give him that luxury? Not the Grimm. Not the White Fang. And certainly not Cinder. His face hardened, and he clenched down on his sword's hilt, raising it up along with his shield as he said, "Give me everything. Don't hold ba—aahh!"

Jaune went flying back as Ruby's scythe crashed into his shield, the mere force of her blow sending him across the clearing and into a tree trunk. Snow fell from its branches and buried him completely. Through the icy cold slush that filled his ears, he heard Ruby's faint voice call, "You okay?"

He poked his hand out through the snow and whimpered, "I'm fine. Just a few broken ribs. Is it normal to feel your spine through your stomach?"

When Nora pulled Jaune free from the snow, he grabbed his fallen sword and shield and retook his stance. This time, he rushed Ruby, charging with all of the grace of a limp-legged ostrich. When he reached Ruby, he swung down at her shoulder, putting all of his weight into a forward lunge. But Ruby spun around, crouched low to the ground, and smacked Jaune in the back of his leg with the blunt of her scythe. A yelp left his lips before they were buried in the snow as he fell on his face.

The next assault ended much like the first. Jaune climbed to his feet and swung his sword at Ruby's stomach. She blocked deftly with her scythe's blade, and Jaune followed up with another swing. Ruby steered his sword out of the way, but he let his momentum carry him into a spin, whereupon he tried to backhand Ruby with his shield. All Ruby had to do was lean back to dodge, and then she smacked him in the stomach with Crescent Rose's handle.

"Don't forget your Aura, Jaune," she said, guilt clear in her voice as she knocked him around. "Shield yourself. You'll be harder to knock down."

"R-right," he said, holding his stomach with his shield hand.

Once more, Jaune took his stance, and he tried his best to channel his Aura, to do everything Pyrrha had taught him. But when Ruby came in for another strike, all of those teachings flew out of his head, and he found himself on the ground for the third time.

This went on for ten minutes, though to Jaune it felt like hours. He didn't land a single blow on Ruby. He didn't even come close. Over time, he started to use his Aura to shield himself, but that just made Ruby hit harder. It was clear she was trying to push him, to bring him to his limit. All it did was push his patience.

"I'm done," he said, frustrated but doing everything he could not to sound angry. He shrank his shield back down into its sheath form, and he slipped his sword inside. "I can't. I just can't."

"What?" asked Ruby. "Jaune, don't give up now. We were getting close. I could feel it."

"Well, all I could feel was about a month's worth of bruises in the making. I just need a break, okay?"

Ruby frowned, looking guilty, and she folded up her scythe. "Yeah, okay. We'll pick back up after lunch."

"I don't think so." Everyone snapped their heads toward the trees, where they saw Ren leap down from the crystal crown. "We need to go. I spotted a White Fang camp about half a mile north. They're packing up and heading our way."

"How many are there?" asked Ruby.

"Six."

Nora sputtered her lips and waved her hand dismissively, saying, "Please. We can handle that no problem."

"No," said Jaune. "Ren's right. It's not a matter of handling it. We can't afford to get spotted heading for Haven. Maybe the White Fang isn't actually a big deal there, but either way, the last thing we need is for them to report back on us. Besides, we have no idea how strong they are."

Nora made no effort to argue, and Ren of course nodded in agreement. Ruby was silent for a moment, eyes downcast. Jaune had a pretty good idea of what she was thinking about, and it twisted his stomach. But Ruby soon tensed her brow and put on a strong face, saying, "Agreed. Let's go."

For the next five days, the team trekked through the woods and wilderness, hiding in the shadows as they made their way to Haven. If they were going to unravel the conspiracy that had brought about Beacon's fall, they would need to approach with caution. It was possible that the White Fang had a large base in Haven. Or it could be that the White Fang was completely uninvolved there, and it was merely Cinder's crew that they needed to be wary of. Whatever the case, they remained as quiet as possible. In their fights with passing Grimm, they avoided firing their guns whenever possible. They kept talking to a moderate voice—much to Nora's frustration. And they avoided villages and towns whenever possible as they moved further and further from Vale.

But with each passing day, they kept up Jaune's training. Ruby started each practice session with the same promise as the day before: "Today, we unlock your Semblance!" There were only so many times that Jaune could hear that promise throughout the day, before bed, and right as he woke up before he got sick of it. They swapped out training methods to try and push him. At dawn, Ren took Jaune's hands and helped him channel his Aura. Ruby and Nora would then spar with him—or, as Jaune would put it, they would beat him into the ground. And then, every night, his nightmare returned.

Pyrrha's deaths were unique and gruesome. One night, she was thrown from the tower, and Jaune fell alongside her, trapped in the locker. The next night, she had Cinder on the run, before a draconic Grimm swooped down and swallowed her whole. Every time, Jaune could do nothing to save her. He couldn't even join her in death. The locker always protected his fall, shielded him from harm, and hid him from danger. And when the dreams ended, he awoke with a heavy head and weary eyes, yet he refused to go back to sleep.

On the sixth night, Jaune awoke and wandered away from the camp, where he sat down beside the trunk of a live oak tree. He looked up at the stars and breathed deeply into his cold hands, trying to steady his racing heart. The beads of sweat that rolled down his head felt frigid in the winter weather and added to his shivers. He sat there for a good while in silence, thinking, until he heard Ruby's voice.

"Jaune," she said, forcing her worried voice down into a whisper. She jogged to his side, her expression a mix of concern and anger. "There you are. I thought something had happened. If you're going to stay awake, could you at least stay by the camp? Please? You nearly gave me a heart attack."

Jaune grimaced and said, "Sorry. I didn't mean to."

With a sigh, Ruby calmed herself, and she asked, "Another nightmare?"

To this, Jaune merely nodded and looked away, rolling his head back against the tree trunk. Ruby looked around, keeping on watch, though she listened closely as Jaune spoke up. "I've been thinking about them, what's causing them, how to make them stop. For a while, I thought maybe you were right. If I could prove that I could be strong, maybe that would help. Maybe I'd rush to Pyrrha in my dreams and save her, then everything would be better. But now I'm not so sure."

"What do you mean?" Ruby looked to him now.

"I just don't think it will ever happen. The nightmares won't end. I'll never get my Semblance. None of it will happen. You and Nora—and probably so many other people—you unlocked your Semblance while you were stressed. You were in danger, or someone else was. Well, look at what's happened. I've been in danger before. People I loved have been in danger before. Nothing happened. Maybe nothing will ever happen. I'm not saying I want to stop this. I'm going to Haven, one way or another. But maybe once I accept this—that I'll never be like you guys—maybe then I can move on."

The wind settled, and the night became quiet, motionless. The silence dragged on for so long that Jaune wondered if Ruby was even there anymore, but he didn't look away from the stars to check.

"I don't think that's true," Ruby finally said. Jaune looked to her curiously. "You know what I think? Deep down, you know you have power. You just haven't been trying. You've been holding yourself back, whether you know it or not, because you're afraid to unlock your Semblance. You're afraid that once you get it, you'll feel guilty that it didn't happen sooner. So now you don't even want it at all."

Jaune rolled his eyes to the ground again, once again awed by Ruby. He felt drained, his body weighed down by her logic. Everything she said sounded true. How could he deny it?

"Maybe you're right." His hands ran along his face, up into his hair. "So what do I do?"

"I can't tell you, Jaune. If you don't want your Semblance, it will never happen. No one can force you to get it. Something stopped you before—back when you trained with Pyrrha—and guilt is stopping you now. You've got to sort it all out, one way or another. That's how you'll move on."

When Ruby was done talking, all Jaune could do was snort and shake his head. "Ruby, how in the world are you a huntress, a leader, and a shrink at fifteen?"

With a shrug and a wry smile, she said, "I'm not… I just know what you're going through."

Jaune's eyes snapped wide open, and he started to speak, but Ruby walked away, heading back to the camp. He held out his hand for her, but he didn't say a word. Did he have a right to say anything, to her of all people? After what she had seen firsthand, _she_ had a reason to mope, to feel guilty.

A hard resolve crossed Jaune's face. He knew what he needed to do. He straightened his back, crossed his legs, pointed his hands to the sky, and gently closed his eyes. For the rest of the night, he focused—he practiced.

Fresh flakes flittered down from the gray sky. The ice along the canyon walls was slick and black, visible only when the sun pierced the clouds for mere moments at a time. Though Nora had no problem leaping across the rocky floor, Jaune could hardly take a step without fear of a concussion. His feet slipped at every other step, and seldom did his sword hand leave one of the boulders or pillars of stone that littered the frozen riverbank. He would have used his shield hand for such things, but—well—he kind of needed that arm right now.

Nora giggled as she skated around the canyon, her hammer wound up behind her. Jaune gulped as she drew close, and he held up his shield to block as she swung at half strength. The weapons clashed, and Jaune went sliding back, his feet gliding across the ice before his heel skidded onto a dry patch that made him stumble and fall.

While Nora danced along the black ice and bounced across the dry stone, Jaune scrambled to his feet, raising his shield as he waited for her next assault. He stood his ground, feet planted firmly on coarse earth. Nora grinned and rushed in once more, swinging her hammer up from the ground, a blow that would have sent Jaune skyward. But he dodged just in time, and he swung his sword up at Nora's side. With a firm grunt, he smacked her with his blade, her Aura shielding her from a gruesome gash. Still, she let out a gasp and reeled from the attack. She, Jaune, and Ruby all stared with shock.

"I… I did it. I hit you. I actually hi—" But Nora cut Jaune's celebration short. She slammed her hammer into his shield once more, sending him flying backwards into a boulder, where he slumped to the ground, sword and shield lying beside him. "O-ow."

"You okay, Jaune?" asked Nora, her hand flat against her forehead as if she had sent him halfway across the world. "Sorry, I thought you were still in the fight."

"I'm fine," he whimpered. "Kind of deserved that one, I guess."

"You're getting better, though," said Ruby as she hopped down from her seat on a nearby boulder. "If we keep this up, you'll have a shiny new Semblance in no time."

Jaune snorted and climbed to his feet, gathering his weapons. "Yeah. Hope so."

"But for now, let's take a break. Nora, wanna call Ren back for lunch?"

"You got it," said Nora with a firm salute. She bounced through the canyon, off to find Ren, who had once again gone off to scout the area. Meanwhile, Ruby and Jaune unpacked their rations at their camp, which was tucked away in a cave along the high cliff wall that bordered the canyon. In there, they were safe to build a campfire—the first luxury they had had in over a week. Jaune was quick to sit beside the roaring flame, his pack beside him. He gathered up rations and dug in to his own, too hungry to wait for Nora and Ren's return.

While Ruby sat down across from him, she asked, "So, guessing you cleared your head since yesterday?"

"Yeah, I think so," said Jaune between bites of jerky. "I still don't know if anything will ever happen, but I've got to try."

"Good," she said with a smile.

Ruby then went quiet, closing her eyes and rocking side to side by the fire as she ate. Jaune watched her, trying to read her. Her movements were calm and happy, but her face was blank, mouth straight when it wasn't chewing. A sense of guilt tugged at Jaune's heart, and he said, "Ruby."

She opened her silver eyes and quirked her brow. "Hmm? Yeah?"

"If you need anyone to talk to, we're all here for you. I'm sorry I never said so before."

Ruby smiled to this, and she said, "Thanks, Jaune. But don't worry about it. I'm fine."

"Okay. Well, like I said, we're here."

Just then, a rapid, hard stamping of feet drew their eyes to the mouth of the cave. They heard the fevered panting of Nora, and they soon saw her round the corner, looking frazzled. "Guys! I can't find Ren anywhere."

"What?" asked Jaune, both him and Ruby shooting to their feet. "Calm down. Maybe he just wandered a little too far."

"I _went_ far," she assured them. "I even called his name. I know I shouldn't have, but he should have been back by now, or he should have at least been close enough for me to see him. I even climbed the cliff and looked around, but I couldn't spot him. And you _know_ him. He sees us before we see him. He's got to be in trouble."

"If you couldn't see him, then he might be in one of the caves," said Ruby. "There's got to be a dozen of them in this canyon. Let's split up and look for him."

Though nervous about the idea of splitting up, Jaune didn't argue. This was the best option he could think of. Sticking together would be safer, but if Ren was truly in trouble, they would waste precious time. "Right. We'll meet back here in half an hour. If you find him and he's in trouble, give a shout and we'll all come running." Ruby and Nora both nodded before they rushed out of the cave, Jaune following close behind. The three of them split up from there, with Nora going left, Ruby going right, and Jaune crossing the frozen river to the other side of the canyon. His feet slipped once or twice, but he eventually just drifted across until he reached dry earth.

Jaune ran alongside the river, looking in to the cracks and crevices in the rock face, stopping only when he found a gap big enough for a person to fit in. He gazed into the darkness and called Ren's name. He waited and listened, but when no reply came, he moved on. With each cavern he passed, his heart thumped harder, his head pulsing with worry and stress. He was starting to believe Nora. If she and Ruby were doing the same thing Jaune was, then Ren should have heard one of them by now. Just where in the world was he?

When Jaune approached another cave, far down along the river, he heard a noise that made him leap: Gunshots, faint and distant, echoed off the icy cave walls. He peered inside, and he called for Ren. His only reply was more gunshots, along with a whirring sound that he couldn't quite place. This tunnel must have been deep, maybe even twisted to make the guns so quiet.

"Guys!" he shouted, his hands curled around his mouth. "I found him!" He looked left and right, trying to spot Nora and Ruby. To his fear, he didn't see either of them. How far had he gone from camp? There was no way he outran either of them. Had they gone further than him? "Guys! Guys?! Nora! Ruby!" If only his sword was a gun like everyone else's. He could fire a shot to get their attention. Surely it would echo through the canyon better than what he was hearing from the cave. Those shots kept going, and his heart started to match their frantic pace. Jaune snapped his head back and forth, looking to the cave, then back to the canyon. He called once more for the girls, but he didn't see either of them.

Gritting his teeth, Jaune turned and ran into the cave himself. Just as he had expected, the tunnel curved left and right, and it went on and on for at least fifty yards. The sounds of gunfire grew louder and clearer, along with that whirring that almost rivaled their volume. Between them both, Jaune heard grunts of men, clashing of steel, and hard impacts on the rocky walls.

When he rounded a corner, he found himself in a circular chamber illuminated by lantern light, filled with cargo, and littered with the ripped remains of white tents. A figure dressed in white and gray flew past him before crashing into the floor, where he went limp and motionless. Jaune's eyes flared open when he saw the pointed half mask on the man's face, along with the dog ears that poked out of his hood.

Jaune looked back to the chamber. Ren's bullets sailed through the air, peppering the White Fang goons that chased him. Their own rifles cut off his hopes of retreat, and their cutlasses sliced through the air when they came in close. There were at least six of them, including the man lying unconscious at Jaune's feet. But among them was a huge man, a behemoth wielding a chainsaw that sparked across the ground as he charged after Ren.

The White Fang kept Ren on his toes as they charged after him, giving him no time to fight back with anything more than a few gunshots. Their green glow faded with each pull of the trigger, and it was obvious from his panting that he was at his limit. He looked toward the exit, and that's when he saw Jaune.

"Jaune?!" he cried, narrowly avoiding a cutlass that swung at his head.

The White Fang finally noticed Jaune as well, and their moment of shock was enough for Ren to kick two men in the head before slipping past the rest. He ran for Jaune, only to have his collar grabbed by the monstrous man.

"Ren!" Jaune cried out as the Faunus lifted Ren up off his feet before slamming him headfirst into the ground, sending a quake through the cave and cracking the stone floor. Ren's body lay flat, his eyes halfway shut, mouth open, his chest barely rising. The leader crouched over Ren, his knee on his captive's chest, and both he and his men now looked to Jaune.

One of the goons looked to his leader, and he asked, "Lieutenant, what should we do with this one?" Jaune drew his sword and shield in response, his face twisted in a mix of fear and rage, his eyes constantly flicking back and forth between the White Fang and Ren.

The lieutenant grumbled, his voice muffled behind his full mask. "The boss is gonna want to know why a couple of Beacon runts are headed for Haven. But I ain't luggin' two of them all that way. Kill 'im." The command sent a shiver down Jaune's spine. The White Fang goons rushed him, cutlasses in hand, roaring with a bone-chilling savagery.

Jaune blocked the first swing that came his way, veering the blade off course. But the Faunus kicked him in the stomach and sent him sprawling to the floor. He rolled and sprang up onto his knees just in time to clash blades with another man. A third appeared at his side, thrusting his blade down at Jaune's neck. He blocked once more, only to get slashed across the stomach. His Aura kept the blow from tearing him open, but the pain made him reel. He pushed back against the men with his shield and rose to his feet, moving back before he found himself up against a wall.

"What the hell?" the lieutenant muttered, clearly distracted. Jaune caught glimpses of what the lieutenant was grumbling about. Ren started to stir, pressing his hands against the lieutenant's knee as he tried to get up. "This one's too much damn trouble." The lieutenant looked back to Jaune, who was forced to break away from the rest of the White Fang and try to run around the chamber, getting shot at along the way. "Hey! Change of plans. Knock out the blond one. He'll be easier to deal with. I'll take care of this little bastard myself."

"No!" Jaune cried out, his heart leaping to his throat. He ran straight for the lieutenant, who was grabbing his chainsaw. A goon clocked Jaune across the face with an armored glove, sending him to the floor. But he got back up, slashing wildly at the men that now tried to take him alive. "Stay away from him!" He kept shouting, only to grunt and spit as the goons hit him. The lieutenant raised his chainsaw above Ren, pointing down straight at his face. "Sto-op!"

When another punch struck Jaune's face, he didn't even feel it. A goon screamed in pain, the noise so guttural and loud that everyone—even the lieutenant—looked to see what was wrong. The Faunus' hand was broken, the steel plates on his knuckles shattered. Jaune ran forward, not even noticing what happened. He lunged straight for the lieutenant. Another Faunus swung his cutlass across Jaune's back, but it bounced off and flew from his hands, reflected by a flash of golden light.

Jaune threw himself at the lieutenant, sword drawn back. The lieutenant, however, thrust his chainsaw forward, beating Jaune to the punch as he rammed the spinning blades into his gut. Golden light spewed from the impact, repelling the tip of the saw. Jaune grimaced and gritted his teeth, expecting to feel his stomach rip in two. But the light spread out across his body, wrapping around his chest, keeping the chainsaw at bay no matter where it went.

The lieutenant growled, and he pulled back before lashing out with a brutal swing across Jaune's chest. The light protected him, but the force of the slash lifted Jaune up off his feet, sending him back into a wall, where the stone shattered and crumbled around him. His sword and shield clattered to the ground. Dust plumed out around him, and the White Fang looked toward him, dumbstruck by what they had seen. The lieutenant stepped closer, chainsaw at the ready.

As the dust cleared, the White Fang were met with more of that golden light. Even through their slit-eyed masks, they could hardly stand to look at it. It grew and spread, and when the dust finally settled, the light dulled, steadied, and they could see him.

Jaune stumbled away from the wall, not an ache or pain to be found on his body. Every inch of him was encased in golden Aura. It was translucent, like glass, yet its form was clear. He wore a full suit of plate, a bascinet helm with a full face plate covering his head. From the back of his helm, long golden locks flowed in an absent breeze, and steam-like haze drifted from every inch of his armor.

Gasping, Jaune stared out through his helm and down at his hands. Words escaped him. He knew what this was, yet he could not speak the word. All he could do was stare in awe, his heart racing.

And just when he started to laugh, to feel the joy finally spill over his lips, he heard the chainsaw rev. The lieutenant came barreling towards him, swinging his whirring blades down on Jaune's head. With no weapon in hand, Jaune crossed his arms and raised them up to block, moving purely on instinct. The chainsaw bounced against the golden gauntlets, finding no purchase, nothing to dig into and tear. But the lieutenant kept pushing, growling as he tried to carve through Jaune's arms. The chain then snapped, whipping back and smacking the lieutenant across his mask and chest. His saw fell from his hands, and he reeled.

"Jaune! Behind you!" Ren called out, his voice raspy and desperate.

A cutlass smashed down on Jaune's gorget, only to snap in two and do little more than send Jaune stumbling to the side. The Faunus who struck him stepped back, his mouth hanging open, lip twitching. Two others did the same, but the fourth wasn't smart enough to flee. He swung at Jaune with his saber, only to receive a punch in the face that shattered his half mask and laid him out.

A sputtering laugh left Jaune's lips, and he hunched forward, looking at his fist, then back to the man he'd punched. "Holy crap," he said, still chuckling. "This is… this is insane. I'm invincible. I'm invinci-whoa-a!"

Jaune was never allowed to celebrate. Ever.

The lieutenant had grabbed Jaune by his holy pauldrons and—with that titanic strength of his—hurled him across the cavern and into a cargo box. Metal bent, rations went flying, and when he came to a rest, Jaune found himself upside-down, legs dangling in the air.

"Okay," Jaune muttered through his helm. "I… did _not_ deserve that!"

By the time Jaune clambered to his feet, the lieutenant was on him. Jaune threw a punch at the Faunus' jaw, but it didn't stop him. The lieutenant picked him up once again and slammed him down into the ground, cracking the earth worse than he had done with Ren. With his weapon broken, and with no desire to break his hands, the lieutenant began to stomp down on Jaune's chest, pounding down on his breastplate. Bullets flew at the Faunus, peppering him in the side of the head as Ren fired. But the little green peas were too weak to even make the lieutenant flinch. He just kept stomping, over and over again, until he saw cracks spread out across Jaune's armor.

The golden suit began to flicker, and Jaune felt drained, his head swimming, his muscles twitching. He couldn't hold on. He could hardly move. Each kick sent him deeper and deeper into the ground, his body thumping against his own armor. He could nearly feel the lieutenant's heel against his chest. Jaune grunted and cried, raising his trembling arms to try and catch the boot.

A sudden wind whipped up in the cave. A red blur passed over Jaune. An impact. A grunt. A slam across the room. Rose petals fluttered down on top of Jaune as his armor faded away. Bullets fired, blades clashed, and the ground trembled.

Amidst the cries of the White Fang, he heard voices call out his name. He whispered back as his eyes grew heavy. "Ruby… Nora…" The world swung back. It felt like his body was floating, then falling into the sky. His eyes slid shut, every muscle in his body went limp, and he blacked out.

An hour, maybe two or three passed before Jaune awoke from his dreamless slumber. He felt the warmth of a fire, the comfort of a blanket that caressed his cheek as he stirred. His eyelids peeled back slowly, and the weight in his head slowly lifted, but his muscles still felt heavy and weak. A groan escaped his lips, and eyes suddenly fell upon him. When his vision cleared, he could see his friends around him, relief in their eyes.

"Jaune!" Nora cheered and dove on top of him, wrapping her arms around him for a bone-breaking hug.

"N-Nora! I can't breathe," he gagged, trying to pat her on the back to make her stop.

"Ren told us everything," she said, letting him go. "You. Were. Awesome! I wish I could have been there sooner. You have to show us your Semblance. It sounds so cool."

"Yeah," he said, a hand to his chest as he regained his lost breath. "Maybe later, okay?"

Ruby then spoke up, kneeling on the other side of the fire, "You okay, Jaune?"

"Uh, yeah, I think so. I feel exhausted and a little sore, but that's about it." He then looked around to see where they were. They were in a different cave, one he didn't recognize. When his eyes drifted back to his team, he asked, "What happened?"

"Nora and I passed by the cave, and we heard the fighting," said Ruby. "Or, we kind of felt the ground shake."

"Yeah, that was me, unfortunately."

"Don't worry," said Nora with a big grin, "we gave that guy a thrashing for it. I think I broke his legs at one point."

Ruby then continued, "Then we tied them up. We weren't sure what to do with them at first. We couldn't let them report back, but we couldn't risk anyone recognizing us at a police station. Couldn't call anyone, either. So we dropped them off at the edge of a nearby town while Ren carried you here."

Jaune looked to Ren, who was scuffed up and bruised from the fight, purple marks running up the side of his neck from where he'd been slammed. "You okay, Ren?" he asked.

"I'm fine," said Ren, "thanks to you. You did great back there, Jaune."

Slowly, Jaune crawled up until he was sitting against the cave wall. He groaned the whole way, but despite everyone's concern, he kept going until he was upright. "How did you even end up in that cave?"

Ren's eyes drifted to the ground for a moment as he explained, "I was careless. That White Fang leader, the big one, he's surprisingly quiet. I stopped at the mouth of that cave to check inside, and he came up behind me and threw me in. From there, he and his men pushed me further and further inside. They were the ones I saw a week ago. I think they had been following our trail."

"Damn," Jaune muttered. "Let's hope they didn't report on us."

"It's possible, but I doubt it. No one ever joined their ranks. If they knew we were from Beacon, I would expect they would have gathered more men. Nothing about our trail would indicate we were anything more than travelers. They were probably just suspicious, wanted to see who we were."

"Maybe," said Ruby. "But let's be sure to keep an eye out."

"Should we head out now?" asked Jaune, doing his very best to keep his voice level and calm, to hide his exhaustion. It didn't work, of course. He had admitted to it earlier.

"Not a chance. You need to rest. I can't imagine how much Aura you need for a Semblance like yours, but it drained you dry. Get some sleep. We'll watch the cave."

There was no point in arguing. Jaune knew she was right. With a nod, he slipped back down onto the floor, and he fell to sleep before his head even hit his pack.

A howling wind, cold and biting, spirited Jaune to the top of the tower. The sky was dark, moon and stars blotted out by dark purple clouds. Jaune's feet tapped down against the cracked concrete. Lucidity hit him straight away, and he began to wander the rooftop, his footsteps and the wind being his only companions in the silence.

He spun once, then twice, searching the roof. On his third look, he suddenly saw—as if it had been there all along—a monstrous Grimm. Its body was pure stone, clinging to the rooftop, its mouth hanging open in an eternal roar. But there was nothing else.

There was no battle.

There was no Cinder.

There was no Pyrrha.

No matter how many times he turned and looked around this small rooftop, he never found them, any of them. He looked down at his hand, and he flexed his fingers, tensing them up—though he could feel nothing. With a grunt and a shake of his arm, he summoned his Aura, his Semblance, and gold light appeared across his arm. The rest of his armor followed, save his helmet. His long locks flowed in the wind behind him, and he scanned the roof once more.

There was nothing, no one to fight, no one to protect.

"I see," he whispered, his arms falling by his sides. "There was nothing I could have done.

"If I had had this power back then, maybe I could have done something. But I didn't, so I couldn't."

Drawing up his hand once more, he clenched his fist, and even in his dream, he could feel the tension. "But I have it now." His face hardened, and he looked to the sky. "Pyrrha… I won't let this happen to anyone else.

"… Never again."

END


End file.
